The Board denied the Appellant's claim for death pension benefits because her annual income, even after deducting medical expenses, exceeded the maximum annual pension rate with regular aid and attendance payable to a surviving spouse with no dependents.
The deciding factor: The Appellant's income was found to exceed the maximum annual pension rate due to her countable income including Social Security Administration payments and military retirement, which when corrected for medical expenses still exceeded the limit.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19107755
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.